Four US troops killed in Baghdad attacks

Two US soldiers died and at least six others were wounded in an Iraqi attack on a US communications centre on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, military sources said.

In a separate incident in fighting on the eastern outskirts of Baghdad, two Marines were killed while trying to secure two bridges in what Marines said appeared to be an incident of "friendly fire".

Commenting on the attack on the communications centre, Major Michael Birmingham, chief public affairs officer for the US 3rd Infantry, said: "Some sort of a rocket hit near the 2nd Brigade's tactical operation centre south of the city."

The 2nd Brigade is part of the 3rd Infantry.

Birmingham said one of the six wounded soldiers was in a critical condition. He added that six other soldiers were missing but declined to discuss possible fatalities.

However, military sources said two soldiers had definitely died in the attack.

Earlier, 2nd Brigade troops burst into the heart of Baghdad and seized two of President Saddam Hussein's palace complexes.

Marines on the eastern side of Baghdad told Reuters two of their comrades were killed and three wounded by their own side when an artillery shell punched into their armoured vehicle.

"It was friendly fire. The artillery came in short," one told Reuters. "The Iraqis have been firing little artillery."

Colonel B McCoy told Reuters the cause of the deaths was unclear but he said that the Marines were investigating.

The incident occurred when the Marines were trying to secure two bridges over the Nahr Diyala tributary of the Tigris river, to the east of Baghdad.

Reuters reporter Matthew Green said the Marines later secured the bridges and crossed with tanks and armoured vehicles. They were now battling Iraqi Special Republican Guard units on the Baghdad side of the river, he said.